Suns near deal with Matt Barnes

Free-agent forward Matt Barnes is scheduled to arrive in Phoenix Monday, expecting to sign a one-year veteran's minimum deal with the Suns after completing a physical.

Barnes, 28, spent the past two seasons in a mostly reserve role with the Golden State Warriors. He collected a career-best 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in the 2006-07 season. Last season, he averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game.

General Manager Steve Kerr and coach Terry Porter talked with Barnes by phone last week from Las Vegas, where the Suns were in NBA Summer League action. The team likes his shooting touch, ball-handling and big-game experience.

In his seventh NBA season, Barnes is expected to make $1.2 million, but the Suns will pay only $797,000. The rest will come from a league fund.

Barnes, who is 6 feet 7 and 226 pounds, also has played for Philadelphia, New York, Sacramento and the Clippers since his college days at UCLA.

He has averaged 6.1 points per game over his career, shooting 32 percent from 3-point range.

If Barnes signs, the Suns will need to sign two more players to reach the 13-man roster minimum.

Finding a backup for point guard Steve Nash remains a priority.

Reports surfaced last week that second-round draft pick Goran Dragic had decided to stay in Europe, but a decision hasn't been made.